Carriage-spring connection.



A. CR UTCHLEY.

CARRIAGE SPRING CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED 0:0.21. 1914.

1,171,386 Patented Feb. 8,1916.

I firm/r 6711/2446] r2 2)- v To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR CRUTCHLEY, a citizen of the United States,-residing at the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Carriage- Spring' Connections, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description,

suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-'- My invention. relates to writing machines, and specifically to the carriage moving its stationary mounting. Y

My invention has for its principal object the provision of .an automatically releasable connection between the carriage spring andits stationary mounting.

For the purpose of disclosure, I have illustrated in theaccompanying drawings two forms.

Figure 1 represents a front view of the carriage spring drum of awritingma'chine. Fig. 2 represents a rear view thereof illustrating one form of my invention. Fig. 3

4 is a view similar to Fig. 2-showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 4 1s a sectional .view, illustrating a modified form. Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating in perspective a portion of the modified form.

It has been observed in the operation of writing machines having a longitudinally movable carriage, and particularly in machines wherein the return movement of the carriage is automatically effected, that'the flexible connection, drum with the carriage is subject to breaka e. When this occurs, the spring drum being left free from the restraining weight of the carriage, immediately yields to the tendency of the spring, and rotating rapidly while the spring is unwinding, gains sufiicient momentum to break the spring or its connections either to the drum or to the spindle to which the inner end of the spring spindle 4 by the means now usually in the form of a cord or band, which connects the spring with, and the spring wound UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

caanmen-srmne connncrron.

Specification of Letters Patent; t t js, 1 Application filed December 2 1, 1914. Serial No. 078,355.

ings, it will be understood that 1 represents any suitable portion of the, machine upon which the spring drumn2 is mounted by means of the spindle 4, which usually is ininitially to provide the wardly in the letter-space operation.

5 is the spring, one end of which 5 is connected to the drum, and the inner end of which 5 is adapted to be connected to the to be, described.

6 is the flexible cord or band which is con- I nected and partially wound upon the drum 2,the other end thereof being connected to the carriage of the machine so as to draw the same leftwardly under the influence of the spring 5. The means of connection which is provided between the inner end 5 of the spring the catch .lug

sented nose, and the notched ring 8. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, this notched ring is of eccentric form, and encircles the spin- .75 and the spindle 4, comprises 7 having a forwardly predle 4. It is provided with the notch 8, in

which in a clockwise direction the ring is formed with the inwardly extendmg lip 8". Behind the notch 8 the ring is spiraled out so as'to approach the notch gradually. The inner perimeter of the ring 8 is considerably larger than the outer perimeter of the spindle 4, the difference giving room for the travel within the ring of the lug 7. The inner end of the spring is attached to the ring '8 in" such position that the tendency of the spring maintains the lip 8 in yielding contact with the spindle 4.

When the spring is initially wound up, which is done by the rotation of the spindle 4, the lug 7 will be carried around within approaches the notch the ring 8, and as it the spiraled out por- 8" will ride through tion and engage the notch with its forwardly directed nose. Thelip 8 in front of the notch, prevents the rotation of the'lug 7 out ofor beyond the notch. Consequently,

upon further rotation of spindle 4 in a clockwise direction, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the ring 8 will be carried around thereup. This will place the proper tension upon the drum 2, I

which tension is transmitted to the carriage through the flexible connection 6. In case of the breaking or accidental detachment of the flexible connection 6 from the carriage,

the drum being left free from restraint, will in Figs. 2 and 3 as the spring unwinds. When the tension has been released suflicicntly to relievethe opposing influence .of

the lip 8 against the lug 7, the ring 8 will disengage itself from the lug 7 and rotate freely in a clockwise direction, permitting the spring to unwind without rotation of the drum. Thus, it will be seen that, there being no fixed connection of the spring at its inner end, the momentum of the spring may spend itself without giving excessive momentum to the drum, and without. placing any' braking strain upon the spring or its connections.

.In Figs. 4 and 5 is illustrated a modification. In this form the notched ring 8 has a notch cut in from one end thereof instead of from the inner perimeter thereof. The inner end of, the spring is connected to the ring, and a stop pin 7 is fixed in the spindle 4 in position such that it may be engaged in the notch. A spring 9 tends to hold the ring 8 inwardly in position'where the pin 7 will ride into the notch. Upon the release of the .drum, however, the unwinding -movement of the spring will cause the ring to ride ofl of the pin, permitting free movement of. the ring independently of the spindle. a

.What I claim is:

1-. In a writing machine, a drum mounted for rotary movement, a flexible element adapted. to be wound on the drum, a spring for actuating the drum to wind the flexible element thereon, said spring having one end secured to the drum, a stationary member adapted to hold the other end of the spring against movement, and a connection between the said end of the spring and stationary member, said connection including a'collar member encircling the stationary member and connected to the spring, and a lug carried by the stationary member, said lug and said collar being provided with interengaging elements whereby the connected end of the spring is held against movement in an unwinding direction but is free to move in a; winding direction. 1

2. In a writing machine, a rotary drum, a flexible element windable upon the same,

a spring for actuating the drum to wind the flexible element thereon, said spring having one end thereof connected to the drum, a

normally stationary spindle, a collar memengage said lip, to prevent movement of the collar in an unwinding direction but to permit movement thereof in a winding direction, the inner diameter of said collar being suflicientto permit its rotation over said lug.

3. In a writing machine, a drum mounted for rotary movement, a ,flexible element windable upon the same, a spring for actuating the drum to wind the flexible element thereon, a normally stationary spindle, a collar encircling the spindle, said collar and said spindle being provided with cooperating means engageable upon contractive movement of the spring and disengageable upon expansive movement thereof, one end of the spring being secured to the drum and theother end thereof being secured to the collar.

4. In a machine of the class described, a revoluble member, a flexibleelement windable thereon, a spring for actuating the said member to wind the flexible element thereon, a normally stationary member concentrically associated with said revoluble member, an automatically releasable means for connecting the spring to the sta- It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,171,386, granted February improvement in Carriage-Spring Connections, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page Lstrike out linelfiand insert 1 i l l l i i E l I be read with this correction therein that thesame mayconform to "the record of the case in the Patent Office. I

4 Signed and sealed this 29th day of February, A. D., 1916.

[SEAL] R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Correction in Letters PatentNo. 1,171,386.

8, 1916, upon the application of Arthur Orutchley, of Brooklyn, New York, for an the Words mechanism of writing machines; and that the said LettersT'Patent should 

